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COMM 5000: Introduction to Graduate Studies

Popular vs. Academic Materials

A scholarly (or academic) resource is one that is written by experts in the field for experts in the field.  A popular resource is one that is written for the general public.  Your local newspaper is a popular resource.

Scholarly Journals Popular Magazines

Publication has a narrow scope or is limited to a specific field or sub-field of study; goal is to promote and disseminate scholarly research

Publication is designed for a broad, general audience; primary goal is to make a profit

Intended for academic or specialized audiences such as professors, researchers, students

Does not require expertise in the field to understand the information; designed for the general population

Has tables and graphics

Has pictures and media included

Has references, bibliographies, notes and/or works cited included

May have verified facts, but does not include references or bibliographies

Has little or no advertising; included advertising promotes books, journals, conferences

Has advertising

Has an author and author affiliations; authors are experts in their respective field

May or may not have an author listed; authors are generalists, journalists, or freelance writers

Published by a scholarly press or professional organization

Published by a for-profit entity

Editorial board of scholars in the field who review articles prior to publication in a process known as refereed or peer-review

Editor is a journalist who works for the publisher

Databases usually have some mechanism to search for only scholarly, or peer reviewed, articles. Look for a check box on the search screen which will allow you to limit search results to only scholarly journals if your professor requires a scholarly article.

What other professionals say about scholarly and popular sources

Literature Review

A literature review is both a step in the research process and a section of a research paper. Before writing the literature review, you must first review some literature. The goal is to get familiar with existing debates, schools of thought, and arguments related to a topic. Here are some tips:

  • Ask a librarian or your professor for advice on which databases or journals to use.
  • Pay attention to bibliographies and citations for names and articles that are cited often. These are usually important.
  • Use bibliographies as a launching point for finding other literature on a subject.
  • Determine how relevant an article is to your topic.

Once you have identified a handful of relevant and important literature on your subject, it is time to write the literature review. The goal of the literature review is to summarize briefly summarize for your reader the literature you found and how different studies and articles relate to one another. Keep these things in mind:

  • Divide scholars and articles into groups to help your reader make sense of them.
  • Tell the reader whether you agree or disagree with the literature and why.
  • Identify "gaps" in the literature. These are particular questions and sub-topics that have not been thoroughly discussed by others, and they make great topics for your own research.
  • Discuss how your thesis or research question relates to the existing literature.